Armored shoe



p 1931- A. A. WILLIAMS 1,823,924

ARMORED SHOE Filed Nov. 19, 1929 Wh W Patented Sept. 1931 U T s'rATss ARTHUR A. WILLIAMS, OF HOLLISTON, MASSACHUSETTS mom SHOE HEISSUED Application filed November 19, 1929. Serial No. 408,228.

My invention relates to boots and shoes and particularly to armored boots and shoes for workmen.

The object of this invention is to provide- 5 an improved armored boot or shoe especially designed for use by foundry men, machlnists and the like, and whichwill protect the feet from injury by falling castings or other heavy objects.

Workmen in foundries, machine shops and like places who wear unarmored shoes of ordinary construction frequently have their foot crushed or otherwise injured by heavy castings or the like falling thereon, and some- 1 times the injury is such that it is necessary to cut the shoe away from the foot.

My invention provides aboot or shoe having the attractive-exterior appearance of an ordinary boot or shoe but which has incorporated in the toe portion thereof a metallic box made from heavy gauge sheet metal moulded to conform to the shape of the toe portion of the boot or shoe within which latter it is completely embedded and held or pocketed in such manner that, in the event that the metallic box is crushed down into the foot of'the wearer so as to prevent withdrawal of the foot from the shoe in the ordinary manner, said metallic box can be readily removed from the shoe structure by merely slitting the toe portion of upper that is outside of the metallic box, thereby freeing the latter so that it can be lifted outof place thus freeing the foot.

In the best form of my invention the heavy gauge sheet metal box is made from steel and is hardened and tempered so as to withstand great crushing pressureswithout distortion;

The metal boxes of shoes made by me, in accordance with this invention withstand a pressure of over five thousand pounds. It will thus be apparent that my invention does not consist in merely constructing the toe of a shoe or the like with a sheet metal toe box, but in providing the same with a shield for the toes of the wearer which will withstand great pressures tending to crush the same; which cannot normally be crushed so as to clamp the toes within it, and which can be quickly removed from the shoes to permit removal of the foot in the event that it is displaced or distorted sufficiently to clamp the toes of the wearer.

Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out. Y

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a workmans shoe constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the sheet metal toe box forming part of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3- 3 of Figure 2.

. Figure 4 is a view like Figure 3 but showmg another form of sheet metal toe box.

Having reference to the drawings 1 is the vamp of the upper ofa workmans shoe within which is provided the usual lining 2. At

. in holding a sheet metal toe box 5 in position between the upper leather 1 and the leather toecap 3. This toe box 5 is preferably made from comparatively heavy gauge sheet steel which is hardened and tempered so that it will strongly resist any pressures tending to crush or distort the same. Also said metal box is made toe-shaped as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 being formed with a top wall 6 and a skirt 7 which extends from one side of the box around the front thereof to the rear of the box at the opposite side thereof. As shown clearly in the drawings the lower marginal portion 8 of the toe box 5 is set inwardly but terminates outside of the inseam stitches 9, Fig. 1, by which the welt 10, leather toe cap 3, upper l and lining 2 are fastened to the innersole 11 of the shoe. 7

Thus the metal toe box 5 is completely embedded within the upper of the shoe and is pocketed between the stitches 9 and 4 so that it is held against displacement within its pocket.

A toe box 5 made as above described will withstand eat blows and pressures but it .is possible, 0 course, that a weight may fall of said toe comprising a shoe, upper and insole,

upon the foot of the wearer of the shoe with enough force either to crush the toe box 5 or to drive it downwardly into the foot of the wearer. In such an event the toe cap would, or would tend to, lock the foot of the wearer within the shoe but it is a distinct advantage to the above described structure that the foot can, under such circumstances, be quickly freed from the shoe by drawin a knife blade horizontally around the leat er toe cap 3 near the base of the latter thereby permitting said leather toe cap to be raised so that the metal box 5 is easily removable.

The form of sheet metal toe box shown in Fig. 4 has its bottom and rear edges thickened and made blunt by upsetting the marginal ortions thereof as shown at 12 and 13. This orm of toe box has the advantage that its edges are not so sharp as the edges of the box shown in Fig. 3 so that there is less likelihood of said edges cutting through the leather or other parts of the shoe when a ressure is g welght the form heavy downward and inward exerted upon the box by a fal or the like than is the case with shown in Fig. 3.

It is a feature of both forms of metal box herein described that the bottom marginal portion of each is turned inwardly as shown or example so that this portion seats flatwise upon the portion of the shoe directly beneath it and by which itis supported against downward thrust.

What I claim is:

1. A bootor shoe of the character described comprising a sole; an upper having a complete toe portion; a toe cap upon the exterior portion; means fastening the rear marginal portion of said toe cap directly to said toe portion of the upper; means fastening the lower marginal portions of said toe cap and of said upper to the sole,and a rigidmetal toe box wholly disposed between said two fastening means and between said toe cap and said toe portion of the upper to protect the toes of the wearer, the metal box having an inwardly turned portion shaped to form a seat extending thereabout and supporting the box against downward thrust.

2. A boot or shoe of the character described comprising a shoe upper and insole, a toe cap surrounding t e upper at the toe portion, a line of stitches connecting the rear portion of the toe cap and upper, a welt, a line of stitches connecting the welt, upper, toe cap and insole, a rigid metal box inserted between the upper and toecap and lying between the stitched seams, and an outsolec onnected to the shoe and covering the inseam.

3. A boot or shoe of the character described a toe cap surrounding the upper at the toe portion, a line of stitches connecting the rear portion of the toe cap and upper, a welt, a line of stitches connecting the wel upper, toe. cap

ARTHUR A. WILLIAMS. 

